RP: Aria (lavellanfadewalk) ((NSFW content further down))

[blackwall_fadewalk]

Skyhold. He was back in- but the sky…

Sometimes Sera had the absolute right of it. Fucking magic shite.

Blackwall sighed, choking up a tad on the bit of chair leg. There was the feeling of Darkspawn or other Wardens in the distance. Supposed to be someday he’d be able to tell the difference. Didn’t do him much good now.

The hold was empty. Not even wind to make the trees move. Like the air just before the storm broke. Unsettling.

He paced along the battlements one foot at a time. No one else around ‘less they were sneakier than him. Not like that was hard. His Warden armour made enough noise to cover a snowfleur’s approach. The next tower was the one the Inquisitor had refitted for the Mages. Couldn’t hurt to have a quick look. Some mageling may have hid in there and could tell him what in the Blighted Void was going on.

The west door opened with only a small creak.

Comments

[blackwall_fadewalk]

“Audience? Do they heckle you?” He asked, then snorted. “Sounds like the start of a riddle. ‘When is the Fade not the Fade?’ Always hated those kinds of jokes. Answer’s probably something about dreaming or the Veil. Void take me if I know what it is.”

[lavellanfadewalk]

Aria cackles at his question, almost spitting her ale, placing a hand over mouth just in time to avoid making a mess.

"Do they 'heckle' me? Do they?! Hah! My mother heckled me, the Keeper heckled me, and now it feels like I have a thousand of them talking at the same time about thousand different things and theories about any problem or stuff I was thinking about." she waved her hands, then rubbed her face and eyes "They're quiet most of the time, I'll give'em that, but they chose to talk in the worst times. But I'm learning to shut them, push them from the surface of my mind back to the hole they usually hide in." she took a sip of her ale "When the Fade is not the Fade... the hags probably know the answer to this question."

[blackwall_fadewalk]

“I thought that Well was supposed to be helpful. Sounds like just a ticket for a quick headache. Too bad you didn’t let the witch take it instead.” He shook his head and leaned back upright in his chair. He’d ducked when it had looked like Lavellan was about to spray.

He clicked his mug against hers and took a slug to catch up. “Does anything help drown them out? Or is it just more noise coming from outside your head as well as in?”

[lavellanfadewalk]

"Nah, apparently they don't deal well if the numb mind of a drunk person." she shrugged "The Well was helpful to cut the smug smile from Corypheus ugly face. And to find us that nice dragon willing to do dragony stuff against Corypheus' blighted beast so... I just need to adjust to it. Learn how to access and use their knowledge as I learned to access and use the Veil for my magic, when I was a kid."

Aria was leaned with her elbow over the table, jaw lazily resting over her fist.

"What about you? Ser Alistair said the Wardens are connected to the Darkspawn... I assume this must be slightly similar to my connection to the Well. Only without words, since all the blighters do is to screech, scream and other noises I never thought a living creature could make."

[blackwall_fadewalk]

“Well, I haven’t run into any Darkspawn since my Joining, so I couldn’t tell you.” Blackwall shrugged. He probably wasn’t allowed to tell her anything, now he thought of it. Grey Warden secrets and all. Not that he didn’t understand. The Joining was… well, it was a death sentence. Sometimes you died all at once and others it just took a while to catch you up. There was a reason the rumors about the Hero of Ferelden looking for a cure kept coming up. Cheating death was every Warden’s favorite pastime.

Blackwall tipped back his mug and finished off the second half in a few long gulps. “So if learning to shut the Well up is like learning magic, what is drunk magic like? Do you get magic impotence?” He gestured for her to hand over her mug as he got up for refills.

[lavellanfadewalk]

"Drunk magic is dangerous magic." then she add "More than usual. What is like wielding a sword in a fight when drunk? You can miss the target, hurt yourself, hurt people that has nothing to do with the quarry. Add a increased risk of possession and then you have a glimpse of what drunk magic is like."

Aria passed him the mug, straightening her back and placing her feet over the chair next to hers. She stretched her arms above her head, in a lazy and cat-like gesture, waiting for him to come back with more ale.

[blackwall_fadewalk]

He filled their mugs, then grabbed another pair and filled those as well. Brought all four back and slid a new one across to Lavellan with her original. “Bottoms up.” He clicked his first mug against hers and chugged the whole thing down.

He’d fought drunk a fair few times in his life. While he’d been in the army there had been days when he’d woke still well sauced from the night before. Training drills weren’t as hard to get through. Not compared to actual combat.

He heaved a sigh. “Sorry I asked. Should learn to just keep my mouth shut.” Idiot. Think you’re doing the right thing, but just fouling it up. As usual. Quiet down, old man. Just drink your drink. Not much other use for you.

Aw, shite. Was he already at this part of the evening? Usually took him longer than this.

[lavellanfadewalk]

Aria chugged the whole ale, keeping up with Blackwall. Probably better to nurse her next mug if she wished to keep things slightly coherent.

"Sorry for what? Pfft, c'mon. There aren't bad questions, only bad answers. Or so Keeper Deshanna told me, anyway." she grinned, no signs of being bothered by the conversation or the questions at all "I've been a mage my whole life, I know the risks, I know how to avoid it. There is nothing uncomfortable about it too. Unless you're a Templar freaking out. But you're not a Templar and doesn't seem to be freaking out, so..." she smiled "It's good to talk to you Blackwall. Bull is always freaking out about magic and spirits, ugh, tiresome." she shook her head, chuckling.

[blackwall_fadewalk]

“Oh? She heckle you about that, then? Would it be a bad time to mention that your Barriers always gave me the willies?” He smiled to show he was teasing. Though he hadn’t always been fine about magic, at least he’d never had to deal with Bull’s levels of discomfort. “I don’t mind talking about it. Magic and shite, as Sera would say. Just don’t understand it. So I end up asking fool questions and then Dorian or Solas or Madame de Fer or someone looks down their nose at me.”

He rolled his eyes with feeling. “Least you never did that. You tease, but you don’t make a man feel like a child for not knowing a thing.” Blackwall stretched his legs out under the table. Slouched down in his chair a smidge. Pulled his second mug over to the edge of the table.

“Shame of it is, I know you’d answer if I had a question for you. But damned if I can think of one now.” And not like she’d want to know anything about what he did. Swords and shields, woodcarving and angles. Not much use to an Inquisitor. Not much use to anyone.

[lavellanfadewalk]

"Dalish mages are very different from Circle mages, or Solas, since he doesn't fit in any group. A Keeper is a mage trained to serve the clan, their kin, to keep alive our culture and our history. We can't mock people over things they don't know, otherwise they won't come after us for guidance. Deshanna taught us it so we could look after the other mages, keep them safe for themselves and for everyone else, through knowledge. We never had any problems with abominations, so I guess her methods were good."

And she took another sip of ale, staring Blackwall in silence for a few seconds, clearly thinking about something. "I have a question for you. More like a stupid request. Very stupid." she warned, before going on "See, elves don't have beards, they simply don't grow any. May I... touch your beard? It's so... beautiful. I promise I won't pull it." Okay, now she was blushing and making stupid requests. Damn ale.

[blackwall_fadewalk]

He can’t help the smile. But he won’t laugh. She’d take it wrong. But that might be the most adorable thing she’d ever said to him. Blackwall wasn’t stone hearted enough not to be flattered and a little charmed.

So he got up and moved his drink out of the way. Leaned halfway across the table and braced his elbows against it so he’s close enough for her to reach. But wait. He held up a finger and leaned back a little, finger combing through his beard to make sure it’s sat right. Resettled the streaks of grey around his mouth into order. Made sure the two points were even at the ends. Then, just to be a prat, he fiddled with his sideburns so she’d have to wait a little longer.

He resettled back on his elbows, arms folded together and out of her way. “Alright then. And you can pull it a little, if you like. Make sure it’s properly grown and not a fake.” His smile faltered. Bit of a loaded word that. Well done old man.

[lavellanfadewalk]

Aria clapped her hands together, joyful, sitting properly on her chair before standing up, almost unable to wait until he was done with his combing. She sits in the table edge then, reaching for his beard with both hands; her fingers runs through the strands for some time, feeling its touch, far rougher than the touch of hair, but surprisingly fluffy too. She smiles, without noticing she's doing it, her light blue eyes huge with fascination.

"I must say... this is a dream coming true. Since I first saw you in the Hinterlands, I've been thinking about it. 'How must it feel like?'... and the color! How come this is almost perfectly symmetric!?"

She was referring to the gray strands, focusing on it now. Thing is, while focusing on his beard, she lost track of how she was invading his personal space, so close she would feel the warmth of his body if she wasn't totally focused on something else. Her thumbs reaches for the beard line close to his cheekbones, pads feeling the texture there.

[blackwall_fadewalk]

So Lavellan’s a giggly drunk, then. Not that she’s properly drunk yet, but. Good to know.

It’s always an odd feeling, someone else touching his beard. He adjusted though. Focused on her eyes, her smile. It’s a simple thing, but her enthusiasm is catching. He’s smiling back at her and can feel the hairs pull through her fingers when he does.

“You’ve been dreaming about my beard? Did you use that line on Dorian as well? Not that he’d ever let anyone at his precious lip-worm.” That was a terrible insult. Definitely take that one back to the drawing board. “Has a bit of brown in it, bit of black. Sometimes a bit of red, when the sun catches it right. Otherwise just comes from time and stress. Same thing as the rest of my hair.”

He was about to start complaining about her messing with the evenness when he realized how close she'd gotten. Her thumbs rubbed over his cheeks, going with the grain of the hair. Practically cradling his face. Her eyes were close enough he could see each different shade of blue in them. He could smell the ale on her breath, and under that something like Elfroot and spice and air just before a lightning strike.

Oh. Maker’s balls. He’d thought he was past this. Keep your dirty old paws to yourself. She doesn’t want them. He closed his eyes and started to take a deep breath. Realized that was a terrible idea and started breathing through his mouth instead.

[lavellanfadewalk]

"Dorian is handsome for a shemlen, I'll give him that much. I'm almost convinced he grooms his hair with magic." She narrowed her eyes at the thought, as if sharing some deep theory about the other mage. "Now this... this is..."

Aria cut out her own speech, noticing her heart racing for the first time. Blackwall was so close; not close was they had been in the war room just earlier. This close felt almost... intimate. His eyes were like hers, crystal clear, but the shade of blue was slightly more gray than her own. Gray. The sides of his hair had a bit more of gray too, now that she was thinking of it. But the smell of wood, metal and something more muskier were the same and that felt good, suited for his handsome appearance. Not like Dorian, not at all! But handsome, regardless.

She closed the distance between them. She wasn't drunk. Aria knew exactly what she was doing, or thought so. Her heart beat was hammering inside her chest, the reason why she felt so guilty about sending him to the Wardens becoming a little clearer now. She bent to plant a chaste kiss to his lips, a hand resting sofly over his shoulder as the other remained over his cheek.

[blackwall_fadewalk]

“This is what?” He prompted, trying not to drown in her eyes and miserably failing. Didn’t feel like misery, though. Not a thing like it. “Less primped? Rougher? Real?”

But she didn’t answer. Just kept looking back at him because he was a clod who wouldn’t stop staring. And then she was moving nearer, and her eyes dropped to look at his lips, and.

Oh.

Oh…

Well. Maybe she wouldn’t mind his paws.

He doesn’t reach out for her, though. Lets Lavellan decide exactly what she wants. And when she leans in that last little bit he tips his head to the side just a touch to accommodate.

Damn.

She’s so soft. Lips, hands, her eyelashes brush his cheek and they’re soft as well. He presses back gently, heart in his throat and hands clenched on the tabletop. He’ll take no more than she’s willing to give, and not force anything on her. But damn. Damn.

Eventually they pull back from each other. This time he inhales through his nose as deeply as he wants. Her scent sends a curl of warmth through him, but the overtones of ale hold him back.

“Alright?” He asks her chin.

[lavellanfadewalk]

Aria opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. His kiss was gentle, so gentle it made her heart ache. She closed her eyes, resting her forehead over his, noses brushing. She was a terrible person, playing with his life like that.

"I'm sorry. I'm a terrible woman." she shook her head without breaking their touch, a hand still cupping his cheek "I should've acted like a proper Inquisitor when I took for me the responsibility of judging you. Instead, I acted like a vengeful foolish girl, risked your life only to inflict you the pain you had caused me. A pain you never thought could be there because I was too afraid to admit it myself." she chuckled, weakly "And now I act like a foolish girl again, crying over the decision I made, complaining people leaves when I'm the one pushing them away. You deserve better than this."

[blackwall_fadewalk]

She leaned her head against his and Blackwall closed his eyes in order to savor it. Her weight against him made him feel stronger, somehow. The ticklish brush of her little nose against his made him huff a laugh. It felt peaceful, being like this with her.

And then she called herself terrible. He watched her lips, trying to make sense of this. He listened to her guilt. He felt the air get knocked out of him when he realized.

Reached up, pressed her hand to his cheek and leaned into it. “No I don’t. I’m an arrogant tit, and a murderer of children, and a thief and a liar and a mess. Only thing I deserve is death.”

“Instead you gave me everything I ever dreamed of. And you made me earn it.” He wrapped his hand around hers. Thick, calloused, clumsy fingers around powerful and dainty ones. “You had every right to be angry. I expected you to hate me. Still do, if I’m honest.”

“I can’t speak for the others. But I don’t think they wanted to leave you. Just, life gets in the way.” A crooked smile pulled at his mouth. “This? Being here, with you, right now. It’s a gift. I’m glad to have it, so long as you’ll let me.”

[lavellanfadewalk]

'I'm glad to have it, so long as you'll let me.'
His words were undoing her. Aria never thought someone would make her feel so many feelings at once, putting her heart on the edge. A gift, he said. Could they be more foolish than it, both thinking so ill of themselves and so highly of the other? A chuckle escaped her mouth.

"I want you to have it." she nuzzled his nose "Everything."

Aria pulled away to see him better, running her free hand all way through his hair until rest it on the back of his head, bending to kiss him again, more passionate this time.

[blackwall_fadewalk]

Everything.

Maker.

She could have it. Whatever she wanted. Whatever she asked of him. Everything.

He surged up against her, standing so suddenly his back popped. No matter. One hand held hers tight and the other cradled her jaw, holding her like she was precious. Her lips against his, her scent of Elfroot and spice and lightning-cracked sky filled his nose, and the feel of her skin against his fingers was perfect.

She was perfect.

She should know that. He pulled away and mumbled it against her cheek, her forehead, her lips as he kissed her. A litany of “Perfect, perfect, perfect.” His hand drifted down her neck to rest at where it joined her shoulder. Her pulse thundered under her skin, vivid and alive.

[lavellanfadewalk]

She couldn't help but giggle with his kisses, a little surprised to have it inside her. Perfect. Aria held a snark comment about how perfect she would look blabbering with the voices inside her head; for once, she wouldn't spoil everything with her sarcasm.

Another kiss, and she wrapped her hands around his waist, resting her cheek on the curve of his neck, intoxicated with his scent.

"If I only knew all I needed was to be lost in the Fade in order to open my heart to you, I would've done it a long time ago."

[blackwall_fadewalk]

He moved enough so that the table wasn’t in the way and relaxed into her hold. Wrapped his arms around her shoulders, but with care she didn’t get poked by his armour. He could feel her voice vibrating in him when she spoke, and he pressed a kiss into her hair. “It’s too bad Adamant wasn’t enough. Could’ve saved ourselves a fair bit of time. Suppose we weren’t lost enough then.”

Her heart. Damn. His felt near to bursting. Any second he’d open his eyes and wake up back in Weisshaupt. It was foolish, but he still kept his eyes shut as she let him hold her. Anything to make this last.

[lavellanfadewalk]

"I don't know... could've made the Nightmare Demon jealous of you, since it was so eager to be so close."

She thought of planting a kiss to his neck, finding his armor most annoying for being on her way. She planted a sound kiss to his ear instead, tucking a few rebel strands behind his ear before pulling away, taking his hand on hers.

"Thank you for not rejecting me, that would've been awkward." she grinned, kissing his knuckles.

[blackwall_fadewalk]

And now he was thinking about a giant deformed spider-shaped demon trying to cuddle Aria.

His shoulders shook as he laughed too hard for noise. Barely pulled himself back together before the smack of her kiss echoed in his ear. He squeezed her hand and resisted the urge to try to flutter his eyelashes at her gesture. Last thing he needed was for her to think he was having a stroke.

“Thank you for accepting me, such as I am. Now, and all the times before. I don’t have the words to express my gratitude.” He pulled their clasped hand to him. Bowed low in a courtly manner. Pressed his lips to her knuckles as she had to his. Lingered over her hand, and looked up at her with everything he didn’t dare say.

[lavellanfadewalk]

A fond smile blossomed and lit her face, her free hand coming to caress his cheek. "You inspired me to be the best I could be. I don't even know how many times I thought of running away, before Corypheus threw his archdemon in my face. I was alone, knew nothing about shemlen religion and the idea of becoming a symbol as Herald of Andraste frightened me. Still does, actually. But every time I thought of running away, I remembered the sacrifice made by the Wardens. Five Blights, all of which facing horrors no one should. And I, complaining of few rifts pouring demons, with half of the world by my side. I couldn't do less."

Aria pulled him closer. "This, and my utter wish to touch your beard, of course."

[blackwall_fadewalk]

Sacrifices of the Wardens. Which he hadn’t been. At most he was a shield at her back, a sword at her side. He’d lied, through his teeth, about things he hadn’t even known. A fraud, a fake. He’d stolen Gordon Blackwall’s life. The life of a good and righteous man. Paraded around in it like a costume. As though Thom Rainier could be more than what he was.

And out of his pile of bullshit, she’d grown something great. She’d stood strong, and proud, and pulled the whole of Orlais up by it’s sodding collar and given it a good shake. He was nothing, compared to that. Didn’t mind it one bit.

And then she made him laugh again. Get your head out your arse old man, the lady should have all your attention. “The truth at last. Now I understand why the Maker put me in your path. Beardly inspiration.” And he went at her chin-first, trying to rub it in her face.